Four-seamer attack if Irfan gets a look-in

This is the last game of the series. And at 1-1, it is nicely set up as the decider. Rahul Dravid has never lost a series at home, while the Sri Lankans are still fuming over the 1-6 drubbing they received two years back.

This is the last game of the series. And at 1-1, it is nicely set up as the decider. Rahul Dravid has never lost a series at home, while the Sri Lankans are still fuming over the 1-6 drubbing they received two years back. It justifies the immediate aim of both teams, to walk away with the trophy inside the sold-out ACA-VDCA cricket stadium towards Saturday evening.

This is also the last match before hitting the World Cup road.

A lot has been put into this fourth ODI, simply because of that. Surely, as Mahela Jayawardene puts it, the 8220;team winning tomorrow may not win the World Cup; there will be a different set of conditions, key players returning, different stategies used.8221; But the winning flavour will linger.

The World Cup is at the back of everybody8217;s mind and it gets a lot easier to walk with the confidence gained from a series win.

Come to think of it, Sri Lanka have few worries on players8217; form or fitness. That, though, remains a major concern in Team India. Two players in particular 8212; Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan 8212; have been talked about in detail. More so, because questions about them to the skipper have fetched answers that could have been interpreted as concern on the part of Dravid.

Between the team doing well and particular players pulling through, Dravid, of course, wants a combination of both. 8220;The Team should come through well. That8217;s a good starting point. And along the way if particular individuals do well, then it adds to the overall performance of the team.8221;

This Indian team has taken its practice very seriously. If that can be translated to the field, every Irfan and every Sehwag will court success.

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At Friday nets, Irfan sent down 60 deliveries on the trot at reasonable pace. Looks like he is ready for a comeback tomorrow. He took immediate note of umpire Simon Taufel8217;s caution on no-balls, adjusted, and beat Sourav Ganguly with the outswing, got the ball to jag back in to the right-handers, measuring reasonable success trying to duplicate that again and again.

Sehwag batted with a lot of ease. On a practice wicket with plenty of bounce, he negotiated Sreesanth8217;s shorter stuff comfortably. He then opted for knockabout with Ian Frazer, before winding up with a second session in the nets with local bowlers.

India have left out Anil Kumble and Sreesanth from the squad, and will make a final decision on Pathan in the morning. Dilip Vengsarkar8217;s last-minute entry, a huddled conversation with Greg Chappell, Dravid and the bowler himself, suggested that the chairman of selectors wants Irfan to play tomorrow.

In such a scenario Dinesh Kaarthick could be sacrificed for the day, while Robin Uthappa could open with Sourav Ganguly. Either Dravid or Sehwag could come in at No 4. In the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, the middle order batsmen will have to show more responsibility. This hasn8217;t really been the case of late.

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If Irfan makes it to the team, India look set to go in with four seamers 8212; Zaheer, Munaf, Agarkar, Irfan 8212; on a wicket that will aid the seamers. Four seamers also means that Irfan will have more cushion.